"We will be happy if Russia, having reached an agreement with the central government, will fight against Daesh on Iraqi territory," he added.
Irfan Abdulselam Muhammed described the offensive on Mosul, formally known as "We Are Coming, Nineveh," as "successful," adding that the battle for the city of Tel Afar will be instrumental in the overall campaign.
"We've taken many villages close to Tal Afar under control. We are currently working on a plan to besiege the city center. We hope that this operation will help to sever links between Daesh fighters in Iraq and Syria," he explained. "If we succeed, we will prevent the jihadists from fleeing to Syria. At the same time we will not allow radicals from Syria to come to Iraq."
"It is not true that al-Hashd al-Sha'abi fighters have tortured Sunnis and have treated them badly. If we manage to take Daesh fighters prisoner, we hand them over to the authorities. The court determines their fate. We torture no one, we are not cruel to anyone," he said.
The commander further said that Turkey should be proud of the Popular Mobilization Units since Turkmen are fighting in its midst. Ankara has accused self-defense forces in Iraq of human rights violations and blamed them for fomenting sectarian violence.
Irfan Abdulselam Muhammed was referring to comments made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who earlier this week warned the PMU that if its fighters "terrorize" Tal Afar, Turkish forces will respond.
